Coin collecting drawer alarm switch



April 5, 1966 J. H. FASAL ETAL 3,244,323

COIN COLLECTING DRAWER ALARM SWITCH- Filed Sept. 18, 1963 INVENTORS ELILEVY JOHN H. F SAL ORNE y United States Patent 3,244,828 COIN COLLECTINGDRAWER ALARM SWITCH John H. Fasal, New York, N.Y., and Eli Levy,Bloomfield, N.J., assignors to Specialties Development Corporation,Belleville, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Ser.No. 309,727 11 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-61.61)

The present invention relates to alarms, and more particularly to analarm for detecing tampering with a coin collecting drawer.

In many instances coin operated machines are installed in locationswhere they cannot be watched to prevent theft of the coins collected bythe machines. For example, coin operated washing and drying machines foruse of the tenants of an apartment building are usually installed in anopen room or space in the basement of the building and receipts of themachines are collected infrequently. Consequently, the receipts areexposed to theft at such hours when the machines are not in use. Inaddition to the loss of money, the coin collecting arrangement of themachines is damaged in perpetrating the theft and requires immediaterepair to prevent subsequent users of the machinesfrom recovering thecoins they deposited to operate the machines.

A conventional coin collecting arrangement for coin operated machinesgenerally comprises a casing mounted within the housing of the machineand having a bottom, a rear wall, side walls and a front openingaccessible from the exterior of the housing; a coin collecting drawer inthe casing having a bottom, a rear wall, side walls, and a front walloverlying the front opening; and means operable from the exterior of thefront wall for releasably locking the drawer in the casing.

Such an arrangement can be broken into by inserting a tool between thedrawer front wall and the surface it overlies, andprying the front walloutwardly to bend the same outwardly of the drawer whereby the coins inthe drawer are accessible for removal.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an alarmfor immediately detecting the foregoing manner of tampering with a coincollecting drawer.

Another object is to provide such an alarm which also detectsunauthorized unlocking and withdrawal of the drawer.

Another object is to provide such an alarm which is not visible from theexterior of the machine.

Another object is to provide such an alarm which cannot be defeated byshutting oif the electrical power in the area where the machine islocated.-

Another object is to provide such an alarm which can be installedconveniently on newly fabricated machines as well as machines already inuse.

Another object is to provide such an alarm which is simple andeconomical in construction and reliable in operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing,forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of an alarm in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 on FIG. 1illustrating a switch assembly in elevation.

3,244,828 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 FIG. 4 is a simplified wiring diagram ofan alarm network controlled by the alarm.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, there is shown an alarm for acoin collecting drawer which generally comprises a casing 10 mountedwithin the housing H of the machine and irremovably secured thereto, acoin collecting drawer 11 in the casing, locking means 12 for releasablylocking the drawer in the casing, and a switch assembly 14 betweenadjacent sides of the casing and the drawing for operating an alarmnetwork 15 (FIG. 4) in response to tampering with the drawer.

The casing 10 base. bottom 16, a rear wall 17, side walls 18 and 19; anda front wall or frame 20 formed with an opening 21 for receiving thedrawer.

The drawer 11 has a bottom 22, a rear wall 24, side walls 25 and 26, anda front wall 27 overlying the opening 21 and the front wall or frame 20to provide a closure for the drawer and the casing.

The locking means 14 is of conventional type and includes a key operatedlock element 28 mounted on the drawer front wall 27 for inserting a keyfrom the exterior of the housing H, a lock element 29 adapted to bereleasably locked with the element 28, and a rod 30 having one endsecured to the lock element 29 and having its other end secure-d to thecasing rear wall 17 and extending through an opening 31 in the drawerrear wall 24.

The switch assembly 14 generally comprises an electrical switch 32having switch contacts and an element 34 having an end for engaging andbiasing one of the switch contacts in one switching position and havinganother end engaging the inner side of the drawer front wall 27 tomaintain switch contact bias when the drawer is locked in the casing,whereby, upon movement of the drawer front wall away from the casingopening 21, the element relieves the switch contact bias to allow theswitch contact engaged by the element 34 to assume another switchingposition.

In the illustrative embodiment herein, the switch as sembly 14 includesa plate 35 having the switch 32 mounted on transverse wall 36 at therear end thereof formed with an aperture 37 for slidably supporting theelement or rod 34, and the switch 32 includes a fixed rear contact 38and a resilient front contact 39 engaged by the rear end of the rod 34to bias the contact 39 into engagement with the contact 38 when thefront end of the rod 34 is in engagement with the drawer front wall 27as shown in FIG. 1, whereby, upon movement of the drawer front wall awayfrom the casing opening, the rod 34 is displaced and the contacts 38 and39 disengage (FIG. 3).

Preferably, a switch assembly 14 is positioned between the casing anddrawer side walls 18 and 2.5 and 19 and 26, respectively, so thattampering at either side of the drawer front wall effects a switchingoperation for controlling alarm network 15.

The switch assembly is held in place by positioning the front edgethereof against the back of the frame 20 and the lower edge thereof onthe casing bottom 16 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and threading upper and lowerscrews 40 and 41 into the wall 36 which can be adjusted to position therear ends thereof for engagement with the casing rear wall 17 so thatthe switch 32 is spaced from the rear wall 17.

If the casing is constructed of magnetic material which is usually so,the switch assembly plate 35 is attached to the adjacent casing sidewall by a magnet 42 carried by the plate.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the magnet 42 may be positioned beneath therod 34 at its front end. The rod 34 may be formed of magnetic materialso that, when it is released due to tampering, it falls on the magnetand is held in its displaced position by the magnet.

In FIG. 4, a wiring diagram of the alarm network is shown which includesthe switches 32 of two switch assemblies 14, a relay coil 44 and asource of electrical energy 45 connected in series; a switch 46 having acontact 47 and an arm 48 operated by the coil 44 to hold it out ofengagement with the contact 47 when the coil is energized; and a bell 49connected in series with the switch 46 and the source of energy 45.

When the drawer is locked in its closed position as shown, both switches32 are closed and the relay coil 44 is energized to hold the switch arm48 out of engagement with the contact 47, whereby the bell 49 isde-energized. Upon opening of either or both switches 32 the switch arm48 drops out or is urged by a spring 50 to engage the contact 47 andeffect energization of the bell to give an alarm.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a simple, practical and reliable alarm for detectingtampering with coin collecting drawers or the like.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in any limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a coin collecting drawer alarm, the combination of a casing havinga bottom, a rear wall, side walls, and a front opening; a coincollecting drawer in said casing having a bottom, a rear wall, sidewalls spaced from said casing side walls, and a front wall overlyingsaid front opening; means operable by a key from the exterior of saidfront wall for releasably locking said drawer in said casing, saiddrawer being normally locked in closed position; and a switch assemblybetween at least one of said casing side walls and said drawer side walladjacent thereto, and said switch assembly including an electricalswitch having switch contacts and an element having an end for engagingand biasing one of said switch contacts in one switching position andhaving another end engaging the inner side of said front wall tomaintain switch contact bias when said drawer is locked in said casing,whereby, upon slight movement of said front wall away from said casingfront opening while said drawer remains locked in closed position, saidelement relieves the switch contact bias to allow said switch contactengaged by said element to assume another switching position.

2. In an alarm according to claim 1, wherein said switch contact engagedby said element is resilient.

3. In an alarm according to claim 1, wherein said element is a rod.

4. In an alarm according to claim 3, wherein said switch assembly hasmeans for slidably supporting said rod.

5. In an alarm according to claim 3, wherein said switch contacts areadjacent the rear wall of said casing.

6. In an alarm according to claim 5, wherein said switch assemblyincludes means for spacing said switch contacts from the rear wall ofsaid casing.

7. In an alarm according to claim 6, wherein said spacing means isadjustable.

8. In an alarm according to claim 1, wherein said casing is constructedof magnetic material and said switch assembly carries a magnet attachingsaid assembly to said casing side wall.

9. In a coin collecting drawer alarm, the combination of a casing havinga bottom, a rear wall, side walls, and a front wall formed with anopening; a coin collecting drawer in said casing having a bottom, a rearwall, side walls spaced from said casing side walls, and a front walloverlying said front wall and its opening; means operable by a key fromthe exterior of said front wall for releasably locking said drawer insaid casing, said drawer being normally locked in closed position; and aswitch assembly between at least one of said casing Side walls and saiddrawer side wall adjacent thereto, said switch assembly including aplate extending from said casing front wall towards said casing rearwall, a fixed rear switch contact and a resilient movable front switchcontact adjacent said rear contact both mounted on said plate at therear thereof, a rod having its front end in engagement with the innerside of said drawer front wall and having its rear end in engagementwith said movable front switch contact to bias the same into engagementwith said fixed rear switch contact when said drawer is locked in saidcasing, means for supporting the rear end of said rod, and means forattaching said plate to said casing side wall, whereby, upon slightmovement of said drawer front wall away from said casing front wall,said rod follows said drawer front wall while said drawer remains lockedin closed position and allows said movable switch contact to move out ofengagement with said fixed switch contact.

10. In an alarm according to claim 9, wherein said plate has adjustablemeans at its rear end for engaging said casing rear wall to space saidswitch contacts therefrom and to cause the front of said plate to engagesaid casing front wall.

11. In an alarm according to claim 9, wherein said attaching means is amagnet, said casing is formed of magnetic material to attract saidmagnet, and said rod is positioned above said magnet and is formed ofmagnetic material, whereby when said drawer front wall disengages thefront end of said rod said rod is attracted by said magnet and is heldin a position to allow said switch contacts to remain out of engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,892,330 12/1932Cornyn 200-61.6l 2,797,405 6/1957 Stelter ZOO-61.62 2,943,308 6/1960Westphal 20087 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A COIN COLLECTING DRAWER ALARM, THE COMBINATION OF A CASING HAVING A BOTTOM, A REAR WALL, SIDE WALLS, AND A FRONT OPENING; A COIN COLLECTING DRAWER IN SAID CASING HAVING A BOTTOM, A REAR WALL, SIDE WALLS SPACED FROM SAID CASING SIDE WALLS, AND A FRONT WALL OVERLYING SAID FRONT OPENING; MEANS OPERABLE BY A KEY FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID FRONT WALL FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID DRAWER IN SAID CASING, SAID DRAWER BEING NORMALLY LOCKED IN CLOSED POSITION; AND A SWITCH ASSEMBLY BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CASING SIDE WALLS AND SAID DRAWER SIDE WALL ADJACENT THERETO, AND SAID SWITCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH HAVING SWITCH CONTACTS AND AN ELEMENT HAVING AN END FOR ENGAGING AND BIASING ONE OF SAID SWITCH CONTACTS IN ONE SWITCHING POSITION AND HAVING ANOTHER END ENGAGING THE INNER 